Portulaca plant named ‘Duecuppy’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Portulaca  plant named ‘Duecuppy’, characterized by its semi-upright to spreading growth habit; vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; freely flowering habit; and light red and yellow-colored flowers.

Botanical designation: Portulaca hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘DUECUPPY’.

CROSS REFERENCED TO CLOSELY-RELATED APPLICATIONS

Title: Portulaca Plant Named ‘DUECUPCAR’

Applicant: Tobias Dümmen

Filed: Concurrently with this application

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofPortulaca plant, botanically known as Portulaca hybrida and hereinafterreferred to by the name ‘Duecuppy’.

The new Portulaca plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Rheinberg, Germany. The objective of thebreeding program is to create new semi-upright Portulaca plants withnumerous attractive flowers.

The new Portulaca plant originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor in Rheinberg, Germany in July, 2010 of a proprietary selectionof Portulaca hybrida identified as code number F-1921-019, not patented,as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Portulacahybrida identified as code number F-09-18, not patented, as the male, orpollen, parent. The new Portulaca plant was discovered and selected bythe Inventor as a flowering plant from within the progeny of the statedcross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Rheinberg,Germany in May, 2012.

Asexual reproduction of the new Portulaca plant cuttings in a controlledgreenhouse environment in Rheinberg, Germany since June, 2012, has shownthat the unique features of this new Portulaca plant are stable andreproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Portulaca have not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may varysomewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperatureand light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Duecuppy’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Duecuppy’ as a new and distinct Portulacaplant:

-   -   1. Semi-upright to spreading growth habit.    -   2. Vigorous growth habit.    -   3. Freely branching habit.    -   4. Freely flowering habit.    -   5. Light red and yellow-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Portulaca can be compared to plants of the femaleparent selection. Plants of the new Portulaca differ primarily fromplants of the female parent selection in flower size as plants of thenew Portulaca had larger flowers than plants of the female parentselection.

Plants of the new Portulaca can be compared to plants of the male parentselection. Plants of the new Portulaca differ primarily from plants ofthe male parent selection in flower color as plants of the male parentselection have red-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Portulaca can be compared to plants of Portulacahybrida ‘Duecupcar’, disclosed in a U.S. Plant patent application Ser.No. 13/987,122. Plants of the new Portulaca and ‘Duecupcar’ differprimarily in flower color as plants of ‘Duecupcar’ have lighter-coloredflowers.

Plants of the new Portulaca also can be compared to plants of thePortulaca ‘Sun Dance Pink’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisonsconducted in Rheinberg, Germany, plants of the new Portulaca differedprimarily from plants of ‘Sun Dance Pink’ in the followingcharacteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Portulaca were not as broad as plants of        ‘Sun Dance Pink’.    -   2. Plants of the new Portulaca were more freely branching than        plants of ‘Sun Dance Pink’.    -   3. Plants of the new Portulaca had darker green-colored leaves        than plants of ‘Sun Dance Pink’.    -   4. Plants of the new Portulaca and ‘Sun Dance Pink’ differed in        flower color as plants of ‘Sun Dance Pink’ had bright        pink-colored flowers.    -   5. Plants of the new Portulaca had shorter peduncles than plants        of ‘Sun Dance Pink’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new Portulaca plant showing the colors as true as it isreasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values citedin the detailed botanical description which accurately describe thecolors of the new Portulaca plant.

The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical floweringplant of ‘Duecuppy’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurementsand values describe plants grown during the summer in 12-cm containersin a glass-covered greenhouse in Rheinberg, Germany and under culturalpractices typical of commercial Portulaca production. During theproduction of the plants, day and night temperatures averaged 18° C. andlight levels averaged 4,500 lux. Plants were pinched one time threeweeks after planting and were 20 weeks old when the photograph and thedescription were taken. In the description, color references are made toThe Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except wheregeneral terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Portulaca hybrida ‘Duecuppy’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Portulaca            hybrida identified as code number F-1921-019, not patented.        -   Male or pollen parent.—Proprietary selection of Portulaca            hybrida identified as code number F-09-18, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About five days at            temperatures of 20° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About seven days at            temperatures of 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three            weeks at temperatures of 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four            weeks at temperatures of 20° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; close to 159C in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Semi-upright to spreading plant            habit; vigorous growth habit.        -   Branching habit.—Freely branching habit about 200 to 250            lateral branches potentially developing per plant; pinching            enhances branching potential.        -   Overall plant height.—About 14 cm.        -   Plant diameter (area of spread).—About 45 cm.-   Lateral branch description:    -   -   Length.—About 18.3 cm.        -   Diameter.—About 3.1 mm.        -   Internode length.—About 8.2 mm.        -   Strength.—Moderately strong.        -   Texture.—Smooth, glabrous.        -   Color.—Close to 144B and 199B.-   Leaf description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.        -   Length.—About 2.2 cm.        -   Width.—About 1 cm.        -   Shape, developing leaves.—Elliptic.        -   Shape, fully expanded leaves.—Obovate.        -   Apex.—Cuspidate.        -   Base.—Attenuate.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous; fleshy,            succulent.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.        -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface:            Close to 137B; venation, close to 150C. Developing and fully            expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 138B; venation,            close to 150C.        -   Petioles.—Length: About 2 mm. Diameter: About 1.8 mm.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,            upper and lower surfaces: Close to 150C.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower arrangement.—Single rotate flowers; freely flowering            habit with potentially about 500 to 1,750 flowers developing            per plant; flowers face mostly upright.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Natural flowering season.—Plants begin flowering about            twelve weeks after planting; in the garden, plants flower            continuously from spring until autumn in Germany.        -   Flower longevity.—Flowers last about one day on the plant;            flowers not persistent.        -   Flower diameter.—About 3.7 cm.        -   Flower length (height).—About 2 cm.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 4.2 mm.            Shape: Ovoid. Color: Close to 146C.        -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: Corolla consists of five petals            fused at the base. Length: About 2 cm. Width: About 1.5 cm.            Shape: Obovate. Apex: Emarginate. Margin: Entire. Texture,            upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: When            opening, upper surface: Close to 50A; center, close to 24A.            When opening, lower surface: Close to 163B and 47B. Fully            opened, upper surface: Close to 50A; center, close to 24A;            color does not change with development. Fully opened, lower            surface: Close to 163C and 47C.        -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Two or three fused into a            tubular calyx. Length: About 6 mm. Width: About 4.8 mm.            Shape: Ovate. Apex: Acuminate. Margin: Entire. Texture,            upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; leathery. Color,            upper and lower surfaces: Close to 144B.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 2.8 cm. Diameter: About 2.3 mm.            Angle: Mostly upright. Strength: Moderately strong. Texture:            Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 144A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Quantity of stamens per            flower: About 40 to 60. Filament length: About 2 mm to 4 mm.            Filament color: Close to 9A. Anther shape: Oval, bi-lobed.            Anther length: About 0.5 mm. Anther color: Close to 21B.            Amount of pollen: Abundant. Pollen color: Close to 23A.            Gynoecium: Pistil length: About 1.1 cm. Style length: About            5.8 mm. Style color: Close to 9A. Stigma color: Close to 9A.            Ovary color: Close to 144D.        -   Seeds & fruits.—Seed and fruit production have not been            observed on plants of the new Portulaca.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Portulaca have been observed    to have good garden performance and to tolerate temperatures ranging    from about 7° C. to about 40° C.-   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Portulaca have not    been shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to    Portulaca plants.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Portulaca plant named ‘Duecuppy’ asillustrated and described.